Salmonfest
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Sometimes there is an event so important that we here at Northern LIVE Forecast have to break the usual mold of this column and focus in on just one event coming in the next week. This is one of those times and the event is SalmonFest: Streaming for Bristol Bay.

SalmonFest: Streaming for Bristol Bay - August 2nd (4-7pm AKT)

If you missed last week’s Northern LIVE Forecast, here is a bit of a recap: by now, you have probably seen the news that recently the Army Corps of Engineers has recently cleared the way for permitting for the Pebble Mine, a copper, gold and molybdenum mine in Southwest Alaska, near the Bristol Bay which is home to many of the state’s salmon population, as well as some of the best premium salmon fishing in North America. Sadly, many scientists and environmental experts say that any sort of mine disaster would greatly threaten the very existence of salmon in that area, and that any remediation in the area would be costly and in perpetuity (a word here meaning “forever”).

It was this issue that brought into being one of Alaska’s premiere summer music festivals, SalmonFest (then known as Salmonstock) nearly a decade ago and why this year, though the event was cancelled due to COVID-19, the organizers of the festival felt it was of the utmost importance to do something this year.

“Like so many Alaskans and Alaskan organizations, SalmonFest and its partners are not going down without a fight.” said Satchel Pondolfino, a member Cook Inletkeeper, one of the main organizing bodies behind this year’s event entitled, Streaming for Bristol Bay.

It is because of this mentality that the SalmonFest team has put in countless hours in recent weeks reconnecting with many of this festival’s fan-favorite artists and most important speakers from throughout the years and trying to find ways to safely and quickly put together a virtual festival. “(This year’s virtual event) feels like getting back to our roots - using music (and discussion) as a vehicle to spark collective action to stop Pebble Mine,” said Pondolfino, also a key organizer for this year’s virtual event. “It has always been SalmonFest’s goal to create an event that fuels positive, celebratory energy into the salmon movement and recharge salmon lovers to keep fighting to protect what they love.”

This year is no different.

From Todd Snider to The Indigo Girls, Hussy Hicks to SunDog, Kat Moore to Portugal. The Man, (and so many more) loads of our favorite artists are coming back, in support of this year’s event and the cause which it highlights. For more information on the bands and speakers, the issues at hand, and other ways in which you can help support this cause and keep salmon safe long into the future, visit salmonfestalaska.org.

For more information on other possible virtual or socially-distanced in-person musical happenings, check out the AK Concerts’ Calendar in this week’s Anchorage Press or go online to AKconcerts.com. Support local music. Support local causes. Stay safe. Be smart. Love hard. Come back next week for more highlights of what is happening in the local Anchorage (and surrounding area) music scene.

This article originally ran on anchoragepress.com.

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